Grenade with fuze (U)

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a dual purpose, artillery deliverable, submissile grenade effective for use against both personnel and armored material targets. The grenade has a fragmenting antipersonnel tubular housing means, a hollow, anti-material shaped charge cone operatively positioned proximate to the housing means, an explosive means operatively positioned intermediate to the anti-personnel housing and the shaped charge cone for fragmenting the tubular housing means and forcibly expelling the cone from the housing against the armored target, a fuzing means which is actuated by a ribbon stabilizer is fixedly attached to one end of the housing means to initiate the explosive means upon impact of the grenade on the target, and for holding the grenade in a safe unarmed position when the grenade is being delivered by artillery to the target.

United States Patent [1 1 Wolterman Dec. 16, 1975 GRENADE WITH FUZE (U)[75] Inventor: William G. Wolterman, Huntington Beach, Calif.

[22] Filed: Apr. 22, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 463,939

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 282,081, Aug. 11,1972.

52 Us. Cl 102/79; 102/81 [51] Int. Cl. F42C 15/22 [58] Field of Search102/76, 78, 79, 80, 81.2, 102/82 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,191,742 7/1916 Semple 102/81 1,959,401 5/1934 Woodberryl02/8l.2 X 2,472,821 6/1949 Graumann.... 102/2 X 2,748,708 6/1956Bertram l02/8l.2 X

2,790,390 4/1957 Baker 102/79 X 2,853,011 9/1958 Will et a1. .1 lO2/81.2X

2,856,854 lO/l958 Bowersett et al. lO2/8l.2 x

Primary ExaminerSamue1 Feinberg Assistant Examinerl-larold TudorAttorney, Agent, or FirmNathan Edelberg; Robert P.

Gibson; Max Yarmovsky [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a dualpurpose, artillery deliverable, submissile grenade effective for useagainst both personnel and armored material targets. The grenade has afragmenting anti-personnel tubular housing means, a hollow,anti-material shaped charge cone operatively positioned proximate to thehousing means, an explosive means operatively positioned intermediate tothe anti-personnel housing and the shaped charge cone for fragmentingthe tubular housing means and forcibly expelling the cone from thehousing against the armored target, a fuzing means which is actuated byaribbon stabilizer is fixedly attached to one end of the housing meansto initiate the explosive means upon impact of the grenade on thetarget, and for holding the grenade in a safe unarmed position when thegrenade is being delivered by artillery to the target.

-1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 1 of33,926,122

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US. Patent D ec.16,1975 Sheet3of3 3,926,122

GRENADE WITH FUZE (U) This is a division of application Ser. No.282,081, filed Aug. 11, 1972.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various means have been used in prior artmunitions to defeat light materiel targets dispersed in an area.Aircraft-dispensed munitions have been designed to be effective againstboth exposed personnel and materiel and personnel protected by lightlyarmored vehicles such as those having approximately two inches of armorplating. However, there have been no artillery munitions capable ofbeing fired from a field weapon which had equal effectiveness againstboth exposed personnel and armored targets or troops in light armoredpersonnel vehicles. The present invention relates to a fuzed submissilewhich can be stacked in an artillery projectile and which serves thedual-purpose of having high lethality against personnel and lightlyarmored materiel targets. The prior art devices were not reliablycapable of withstanding the approximately 20,000 g forces associatedwith artillery firings that results from the setback force at launch ofthe projectile and centrifugal force caused by projectile spin, and notfuzed on the point that impacts the target.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present device relates to a dual-purposegrenade that can be assembled with a plurality of other like grenadesinto an artillery projectile and fired at a target array that consistsof personnel and/or lightly armored materiel. After the artilleryprojectile has been launched and while the projectile is above thetarget area, the projectile fuze is initiated to ignite a grenadepropellant charge, which forces the grenades as a package, from the aftend of the shell. The circumferential,

tangential, forces resulting from the aforementionedprojectile spindisperse the grenade submissiles over a relatively wide area. Afterexpulsion from the projectile a stabilizing device, which is attached tothe rear nonimpacting side of the grenade, is deployed and trailedbehind the grenade. The difference in wind resistance to the stabilizerand the grenade body causes a difierence in spin rates between thegrenade and the stabilizer. This difference in spin rate produces atorque force which unscrews a firing means which holds a slide detonatorin a safe-unarmed position. The withdrawal of the firing pin permits aneccentrically weighted slider, which is reponsive to the centrifugalforce of the spinning grenade, to move the detonator from the safeout-of-line position to an armed position where the detonator is lockedin position so that it is in-line with a secondary lead explosive. Thegrenade after expulsion from the projectile is deployed by thestabilizer so that it falls in a relatively vertical position with theimpacting side toward the target. The grenade is composed of three mainsections, a top fuze-stabilizer section, an intermediate anti-personnelcap fragmenting section, and a tubular impacting end having afragmenting envelope which contains an armor piercing shaped chargetherein. When the grenade impacts the target, the firing pin is driveninto the slide detonator actuating it, which in turn fires the in-linelead explosive, which in turn actuates the main high-explosive charge.The aforementioned cap-tube assembly frag ments producing anti-personneleffects, while the shaped charge produces armor defeating effects.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an artillerydispensed sub-munition which is effective against both personnel andlight armor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an artillerydispensed sub-munition which can reliably withstand the high setback andspin forces associated with an artillery firing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an artillerydispensed sub-munition which is not fuzed on the point that impacts thetarget.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual purposeanti-personnel, anti-materiel artillery dispensed sub-munition which isvertically stabilized during dispersal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual purposeartillery dispensed sub-munition wherein the stabilizing means unscrewsthe firing pin from a safe position to an armed position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual purposeartillery dispensed sub-munition wherein a firing pin means hold a slidedetonator in a safe out-of-line position prior to dispersal from theartillery projectile and is withdrawn therefrom prior to impacting onthe target.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual purposeartillery dispensed sub-munition which has a slider means for holding adetonator out-of-line with an explosive lead in a safe position whilethe submissile is in the projectile and in an in-line, armed position,when the sub-missile has been expelled from the projectile prior toimpact.

While certain objects, features, and advantages of the present inventionhave been specifically pointed out, others will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONOF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric, partialcut-away, view of the dual purpose, anti-personnel, anti-materiel,grenade with fuze and attached stabilizer showing the general outerconfiguration of the device and the main inner structural elements.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fuze portion of the grenade asillustrated in FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 showing the firing pin meanslocking the slider in the, detonator out-of-line, safe position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fuze portion of the grenade asillustrated in FIG. 1 taken along line 22 showing the firing pin meanspartially withdrawn from the fuze housing and the slider firing pinlocking hole, by the differential torque forces between the stabilizerand attached firing pin means and the captube housing spin, and theradial movement of the eccentrically weighted slider caused by thegrenade spin forces.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fuze portion of the grenade asillustrated in FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 showing the firing pin meansfully withdrawn from the fuze housing and the stab detonator holdingslider with the stab detonator in an in-line armed position and theslider locking spring holding the slider locked adjacent to the fuzeslider housing.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fuze portion of the grenade asillustrated in FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 showing the inertiallyresponsive firing pin means forcibly penetrating the stab detonatorduring the impact stage of the grenade against the target.

FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of the grenade fuze showing thefiring pin axially withdrawn from the fuze housing, and thestab-detonator slider with attached lock spring withdrawn from the fuzehousing slide groove.

Throughout the following description like reference numerals are used todenote like parts of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention isconcerned with a dual-purpose grenade which can be stacked with otheridentical grenades in an artillery projectile, and used with equaleffective lethality against anti-personnel and antimateriel targets.

Referring now to the grenade shown in FIG. 1, a cap anti-personnelfragmenting section 10 is threadedly positioned intermediate to afragmenting tubular envelope on a threaded open end 11 and proximate toa fuze-stabilizer housing assembly 30 on the cap tube closed end 12. Thecap inner wall 13 is embossed to improve its fragmentation and lethaleffectiveness against personnel. The cap closed end 12 has an axiallypositioned lead hole 14 for holding therein a lead train detonatorassembly 15. A pair of fuze housing holding bolts and nuts 16, andothers, are operatively positioned in the cap closed end 12 to fixedlyhold the fuze-stabilizer housing assembly flange 32 adjacent thereto.The tubular envelope 20 has an internally threaded end 21 and an openstand off end 22. Intermediate to the aforesaid tubular envelope ends isa circular stand-off envelope wall rib 23 whose protruding inner wall 24acts as a stop for the shape charge copper cone 25 which is force fitwithin the cylindrical envelope inner embossed fragmenting wall 26. Ahigh explosive 27 is positioned intermediate to the lead cup detonator15 and the space charge cone 25. The fuzestabilizer housing 30 has athreaded axial firing pin retainer 31 which operatively engagescylindrical arming screw 33. A firing pin stabilizer shaft 34 is smallerin diameter than the housing arming screw retainer 31 and freely passestherethrough while the firing pin means 33 is in the safe" position asshown in FIG. 1. The firing pin 37 operatively engages the rectangularshaped detonator slider 35 so that the stab detonator 36 is held in anout-of-line position with the lead cup detonator 15 when the fuze is inthe safe position. A folded stabilizer ribbon 38 is fixedly attached tothe firing pin stabilizer shaft 34 by an eyelet means 39.

Referring now to the longitudinal cross-sectional views in FIGS. 2, 3,4, and 5, the detonator slider 35 has a stab detonator bore 40 andfiring pin counter-sink bore 41, an eccentrically weighted slider end 42having a beveled slider surface 43 to which is attached a flat sliderlock spring 44. The fuze-stabilizer housing 30 has a rectangular shapedhousing slider groove 45 oppositely positioned from the threaded housingarming screw 31 so as to slidably retain the slider 35 between thehousing slider groove 45 and the cap closed end 12. The fuze-stabilizerhousing 30 has a cylindrical arming screw bore 28 which is axial withthe threaded housing arming screw 31 and of larger diameter. The fuzelongitudinal axis 47 of the threaded housing arming screw 31, the armingscrew bore 28 and the cylindrical arming screw 33 are all axiallyaligned. The cylindrical arming screw 33 has a threaded section 48,which operatively engages the internally threaded housing firing pinretainer 31, and is intermediate to the firing pinstabilizer shaft 34and the firing pin clearance housing clearance shaft 49. A firing pinretaining flange 50 slidably fits within the arming screw bore 28 and isof a larger diameter than the bore in the threaded housing arming screwretainer 31 so that it will not fit therethrough. Intermediate to thefiring pin 37 and the firing pin retaining flange 50 is a firing pinlocating shaft 51, smaller in diameter than the firing pin counter-sinkbore 41 and slidably fits therein.

FIG. 2 shows the cylindrical arming screw 33 engaging the detonatorslider 42 so that the stab-detonator 36 is in the out-of-line safeposition.

FIG. 3 shows the arming screw 33 partially retracted by the differencein the spin rates between the grenade and the stabilizer ribbon 38produced torque forces on the arming means 33. The withdrawal of firingpin locating shaft 51 from the counter-sink bore 41 permits theeccentrically weighted slider 35 to react to the centrifugal forces ofspin imparted to the grenade by the projectile spin.

FIG. 4 shows the arming screw 33 completely withdrawn and the slider 35moved to the extreme right so that the stab detonator 36 is in thein-line armed position with the slide lock spring 44 locked against thefusing housing flange 32 so that the slider 35 cannot return to theout-of-line safe position.

FIG. 5 shows the arming screw 33 just after the grenade has impacted onthe target and the firing pin 37 has penetrated the stab detonator 36shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows an exploded isometrical projection of the fuze stabilizerhousing 30, the stab detonator slider 35, the internally threaded armingscrew retainer 31, and the cylindrical arming screw 33. Theeccentrically weighted slider 35 has a parallel pair of low frictionslider rails 52 and 52' which slidably fit within a parallel pair ofslider housing rail grooves 53 and 53'. The slider rail grooves 53 and53' are located in the fuze housing flange 32 and are parallel to thelongitudinal axis 54 of the rectangular housing slider bore 29. Acylindrical axial housing arming screw bore 28 slidably holds thecylindrical arming screw 33 therein when the grenade is in theaforementioned armed position. The axial arming screw bore 28communicates with the rectangular housing slider bore 29 to allow thefiring pin locating shaft 51 to locate within the slider firing pincounter-sink bore 41 when the slider 35 is in the safe positionillustrated in FIG. 2.

In operation the grenade assembly as shown in FIG. 1 is assembled andstacked with other grenades into an artillery projectile (not shown)which is fired at a target array that consists of personnel and/or lightarmed vehicles. At a specific time, while the projectile is above thetarget, the artillery projectile fuze (not shown) functions, igniting apropellant charge (not shown), which forces the grenades as a package todisperse from the aft end of the shell. The tangential forces resultingfrom projectile spin disperse the submissile grenades over a wide area.As expulsion and dispersion of the grenades takes place the stabilizerribbon 38 unfurls and trails behind the grenade. The difference in thespin rates between the grenades and the ribbon 38 produces torque forceon the arming screw 33 which withdraws the firing pin 37 from the safeposition shown in FIG. 1. The eccentrically weighted slider 35 is movedby centrifugal force so that the stab detonator 36 is in-line with thelead train detonator 15 placing the grenade in the fully armed positionshown in FIG. 4. When the grenade impacts the target,

the firing pin 37 is driven forcibly into the stab detonator 36 becauseof the inertial mass of the cylindrical arming screw 33. The stabdetonator 36, upon impact of the firing pin 37, causes the leaddetonator to ignite, which in turn initiates the high explosive charge27. The cap-tube assembly fragments produce anti-personnel effects whilethe shape charge copper cone produces armor defeating effects.

From the above description it will be evident that the inventionprovides a grenade which is capable of withstanding the extreme forcesassociated with artillery firings, has a dual effective lethalityagainst personnel and materiel, and is a submunition capable ofartillery delivery that is not fuzed on the point that impacts thetarget.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact detail of construction shown and described for obviousmodification will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A fuze for safing and arming an artillery deliverable, submissilegrenade used against personnel and armored targets which comprises:

a housing having an axially aligned cylindrical arming screw bore whichcommunicates with a transversely positioned rectangular slider bore,said 6 rectangular slider bore having its longitudinal axisperpendicular to said arming screw bore axis;

a stab detonator;

an internally threaded arming screw retainer axially positioned withinsaid cylindrical bore;

a cylindrical arming screw operatively retained within said cylindricalhousing bore by said retainer, said arming screw having a firing pin onone end and a firing pin threaded section on the other end;

ribbon means for unscrewing said cylindical arming screw fixedlyattached to said threaded end of said arming screw;

an eccentrically weighted detonator slider slidably held by said housingand said arming screw so that said stab detonator contained therein isheld in an out-of-line position when said arming screw is in a safeposition, and centrifugally moved by the spin forces of said grenade toan in-line armed position when said arming screw is withdrawn therefromby the differential forces of spin on said grenade and said unscrewingmeans; and

detent means for locking said slider into said in-line armed position sothat said slider cannot return to said out-of-line position when saidgrenade is expelled from said artillery over said target.

1. A fuze for safing and arming an artillery deliverable, submissilegrenade used against personnel and armored targets which comprises: ahousing having an axially aligned cylindrical arming screw bore whichcommunicates with a transversely positioned rectangular slider bore,said rectangular slider bore having its longitudinal axis perpendicularto said arming screw bore axis; a stab detonator; an internally threadedarming screw retainer axially positioned within said cylindrical bore; acylindrical arming screw operatively retained within said cylindricalhousing bore by said retainer, said arming screw having a firing pin onone end and a firing pin threaded section on the other end; ribbon meansfor unscrewing said cylindical arming screw fixedly attached to saidthreaded end of said arming screw; an eccentrically weighted detonatorslider slidably held by said housing and said arming screw so that saidstab detonator contained therein is held in an out-of-line position whensaid arming screw is in a safe position, and centrifugally moved by thespin forces of said grenade to an in-line armed position when saidarming screw is withdrawn therefrom by the differential forces of spinon said grenade and said unscrewing means; and detent means for lockingsaid slider into said in-line armed position so that said slider cannotreturn to said out-of-line position when said grenade is expelled fromsaid artillery over said target.